Ops
Pizza restaurant · Bushwick ·
Wood-fired sourdough pizzas, natural wines, and inventive cocktails
Wood-fired sourdough pizzas, natural wines, and inventive cocktails
"Low on frills and rich in pizza, this Bushwick spot keeps a physically tiny menu split into cocktails, plates, pizza, more pizza, and desserts. Each pie comes on a delicious sourdough crust with fresh toppings sourced mostly from local farms (listed on their website), and the room’s sexy low lighting, tiled floors, and warm brick walls make it perfect for a weeknight dinner hang. You cannot go wrong with a simple margherita, topped with house mozzarella and fresh basil—the platonic ideal and a must for first-timers. If you are an onion freak like me, go for the "pops" with guanciale, pecorino, and lots of onions; the bites are a little sweet from the onions and a little salty from the guanciale, a beautiful combination. Ask your server if there’s a calzone that day; what’s inside changes (mine had mozzarella, peppers, and sausage) and each comes with a bowl of marinara on the side. For dessert, opt for the chocolate and amaro cake, a flourless, gluten-free confection topped with whipped ricotta that stays perfectly not too sweet while delivering all the chocolate goodness you want. There’s also an extensive wine list, and they’ll let you taste until you find one that’s right for your dinner, plus vegan and gluten-free pizza options if you have those dietary needs." - Avery Dalal
"Ops perfected their sourdough long before everyone jumped on the naturally leavened dough-train. Each time we eat here, their wood-fired pizzas seem to get tangier. In terms of style, Ops’ pies fit somewhere between crispy New York and soppy-in-the-middle Neapolitan: each slice remains straight when you hold it in the air, but the crust puffs up like a balloon. Truthfully it doesn’t matter what you call the style. What matters is that you’re going to want to come to their dimly lit, sexy sourdough pizza emporium in Bushwick every week, like you owe them starter money." - bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, carlo mantuano, molly fitzpatrick
"You could break all the entries on this list into two categories: places that would put ramps on pizza, and places that would not. Ops belongs in the first bucket, but their various seasonal toppings—which range from sweet potatoes to aji dulce peppers—are only part of the reason why you come here. Tangy, fluffy, and perfectly charred, Ops’ sourdough crust is one of the better inventions of the 2010s. Most of the pies here are a cross between New York and Neapolitan-style, but there’s an exceptional, crunchy square option as well. This Bushwick spot also has a list of natural wines and a candlelit dining room, so it’s perfect for a casual date." - willa moore, bryan kim, neha talreja, arden shore
"You’re going to try to make your own pizza at some point - and it might turn out pretty good. But you also might lose focus halfway through, resulting in you feeding your significant other a rhombus of soggy dough. And, honestly, the ensuing fight might ultimately be good for your relationship. Just know that you can skip it altogether and get delivery from Ops. Their fluffy sourdough crust is superior to whatever you’d make at home, and the square pie will make you forget that you’re now essentially Tom Hanks in Castaway (but with a talking Wilson)." - bryan kim
"This Bushwick pizza spot opens at noon on weekends, and the menu is really more of a lunch situation. Which is fine because when you aren’t interested in eggs, the difference between lunch and brunch is just two inconvenient letters. The pies at Ops stand out because of their sourdough crust, and all of your options are really good. Especially the square pie. See, Mrs. Haim’s 9th grade geometry class did come in handy after all." - hannah albertine
